Sealed cosmetic container



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INVENToR LOUIS L. LERNER ATTORNEY L. L. LERNER SEALED COSMETIC CONTAINER Filed July 8, 1955 June 24, 1958 Fig. 1

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w I 4 w United States Patent e 2,840,230 i Y SEALED cosMETIc CONTAINER Louis L. Lerner, Chicago,-lll., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Eyeletspecialty Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July s, V195s, serial No. 520,743

' 4 claims. (ci. 20s-s6) This invention relates to stick-,type cosmetic containers having removable telescopic caps, particularly those in whichy a cosmetic-containing cup is mounted for advancing and retracting, and pertains more specically to means for sealing the cap to the housing of the container.

Numerous conventional cosmetic compositions, such as lipstick formulations, contain volatile ingredients, such as perfumes, which tend to vaporize even at room temperature. In addition, such compositions tend in some cases to be hygroscopic, sothat upon exposure to a humid atmosphere droplets of moisture appear on the surface of Vthe composition, detracting from its appearance and utility. Sincea period of at least several weeks normally elapses between manufacture of such containers and their use by the ultimate consumer, the problem of loss of constituents by evaporation and the formation of water droplets on the cosmetic is a real one, particularly during the summer months. Y f

One object of the present invention is to provide Aa simple and inexpensive means for-sealing a cosmetic container against the` atmosphere. Y A

Anotherobject is to provide avsealing construction forV a cosmetic container of the typehaving a removable telescopic cap arranged to seal repeatedly each time the cap is placed on the container.

Still another objectl is to provide a means for frictionally interlocking a telescoping cap to a cosmetici container base more securely than has been possible with prior constructions and without their tendency to loosen and become inoperative under use conditions.

Other and further objects willappear from the drawings and from the description which follows.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a lipstick container showing one embodiment of the invention with the cap partly removed and the s eal broken;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section'corresponding to a to a portion of Fig. l showing the cap in place on the container and sealed thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section showing a second embodiment of the invention with the cap partly removed;

and

Fig. 4 is a 'view in vertical section (corresponding to a portion of Fig. 3 showing the cap in'place and sealed to the container.

As shown in the drawings, use of the sealing means of the present invention requires very little modification of conventional cosmetic container constructions. As shown in Fig. 1, the container generally comprises a tubular cap which ts telescopically over a housing designated generally by the numeral 12, the cap 10 being of such size that it extends substantially the full length of the housing. These parts will normally be made of metal, although they may be made in whole or in part of other rigid material such as inelastic plastic.

Housing 12, as shown in Fig. 1 is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end. Mounted within the housing is a cup 14 adapted to contain a stick of lipstick or other cosmetic material, cup 14 being mounted for sliding reciprocating movement axially of the housing. Housing 12 includes a base member 16 having a radially projecting shoulder 18 at its lower closed end and being provided with a vertical slot 20 extending axially thereof.

Mounted externally Aof base 16 is a sleeve member 22- provided with a helical slot 2,3, the sleeve 22 being held in place against base 16 by means of an outer coveringv or sleeve 24. The dimensions of the parts are such that sleeve 22 is frictionally held within sleeve 24, these two members together being rotatable axially with respect to base 16. Cup 14 is provided with a projecting lug or pin 26 extending through the helical slot of sleeve 22 into the vertical slot 20 of base member 16 so that rotation of base member 16 with respect to sleeves 22 and 24 causes cup 14 to be advanced and retracted within the base. Y t

Cap 10, as shown in Fig. 1, embraces the housing 12 telescopically. YHowever, because of limitations onmanufacturing tolerances .and the virtual Yimpossibility of avoiding slight out-of-roundness in the manufacture of such caps and housings, there is no air-tight seal between cap 10 and housing 12. Indeed, even if such a tight fit could be obtained between cap 10 and outer sleeve 24,

there would still remain a leakage pathway betweensleeves 22 and 24 and base 16.

' In the embodiment shown inrFig. 1, the seal is provided by means'of an annular member 28 of an elastically deformable rubber-like material, such as natural or synthetic rubber,'rubberlike vinyl resin composition, or rubber-like polyethylene composition, mounted on base 16 adjacent the closed end and near the radially projecting shoulder 18. If desired, annular member 28 may be colored to match the color of the remainder of the housing 12,v Annular member 28 is mounted on a pair of spaced annular ribs 32, 34 on the base, the two ribs being separated by a radially inwardly extending concavity 36, as shown in Fig. 1. Annular member 28 normally has a convex outer face and a flat inner face and has f annular member 28, it is capable of radially inward yielding compression as cap 10 is advanced over it, as shown in Fig. 2, the central portion of memberV 28 being forced into concavity 36 to provide a substantially air-tight seal between cap 10 and base member 16, the open end of cap 10 seating against shoulder 18. Because of the inherent resiliency and elasticity of'annular member 28, any yslight variations in diameters, as Well as any out-ofroundness of either the cap or the housing, is compensated for to ensure a tight seal along the periphery of the inner wall of cap 10.

Upon removal of cap 10 annular member 28 regains effect a new sealing operation when cap 10 is replaced in position.

I-n another embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the elastically deformable annular member of rubber-like material 40 normally has a concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration with its concave face adjacent base 16. As cap 10 is advanced over annular member 40, the concave face of the anular member is flattened out, as shown in Fig. 4, to provide a yielding air-tight seal. In this embodiment also annular bead 38 cooperates with shoulder 18 to retain annular member 40 in axially fixed position. In this embodiment, however, it is desirable, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to have the width of the space between shoulder 18 and bead 38 ber 40 so that the latter will'have space in which to atten out as it is compressed radially inwardly.

In manufacturing the device according to either embodiment, :the 'annular sealing member may be conveniently molded or otherwise formed as ,a separate unit, and then assembled onto the housing 12, Vits resiliency being preferably such that itcan be stretched to it over Vannular bead 38 and thencontracted intoV it-s assembled position beltweensaid beadand shoulder 18. Splitting of the an nularmember diametrically `for assembly purposes or otherwise is generally undesirable, both because of potential leakage` at the split and Vbecause a split ring is apt to loosen or break under use conditions.

' It will be noted that-inboth embodiments there are no openings through the housing 12 which extend below the annularzonefof sealing engagement between the cover and the sealing member and the cover is imperforate above said member, as is requisite if'sealing action is to be obtained. It is desirable to locate the sealing member as `close `to the bottom 4offth'e housing as possible, sinceV therewill normally beppening'sintothe housing at points above'the bottoni, asin the embodiments shown.

This sealing'action isparticularly important in theicase of certain lipstick formulations which contain such volatile Y ingredients `as perfumes,`etc. Moreoverpvarious cosmetic compositions. display hygroscopic properties, tending to absorb moisturefrom the atmosphere which may appear in the form of small droplets. on surface of` the composition under humid condi-tions. These problems -are enhanced by modern shipping` and `merchandising proce'dures, under which periods of `a month ormore may elapse kbetwe'enmanufacture and sale, during which the cosmetic containeris exposed'notonly to normal merchandising store atmosphere butalso may encounter in transit exposure to such conditions ras exhaust fumes, solvent fumes, gas fumes, and atmospheres peculiar to certain areas, such as paper mills or stockyards, all of which tendl A to aiect the taste, odor, or color of the cosmetic composition,"particularlylipstick- The present invention provides a solution to these, problems.

In addition to its -sealing function, thesealing member serves as a means for securely holding the cap and housing together when thecosmetic is not in use, in this respect` being more reliableland satisfactory for the purpose than struck out ,tangsv or ribs usually used rfor thepurpose,V

which are` yapt to become distorted, worn and ineffective under use conditions. `Moreoverthe elastic material of the sealing member offers a substantially greater frictional resistance to the sliding Ao ff of ,the cap than `does metal'of which such tangsor ribs are normally formed. A v

While the cap, housing, and sealing member are all of circularA cross-section in the embodiments illustrate'chthis is not essential, as they may be oval or polygonal. TheY term annular as used herein is intended to include such departures from xa tr-ue circular cross-section.

Although specific embodiments of this invention have been described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to 'include all of the obvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a cosmetic container of the character indicated, an elongated tubular body, a tubular closure cap therefor, means for supporting a cosmetic stick or the like within said body and for dispensing the same out one end of said body, said container having adjacent the other end of said body a pair of axially spaced radial shoulders, axially spaced rst and second annular ribs on said container between said shoulders and respectively adjacent each of said shoulders, thereby defining a circumferential groove between said ribs, and a circumferentially continuous yieldable plastic member axially retained between said shoulders and radially retained by both said ribs, said member having a convex outer surface of maximum unstressed diameter in excess of the bore diameter of said cap and of minimum diameter less than the bore diameter of said cap, said closure cap fitting over said one end andhaving "frictional engagement with said mem-` Vmeans coacting upon' relative rotation to propel and repel the cosmetic stick or the like out said open end, the inner of said members including a -base extending accessibly beyond said tubular member at the end` opposite said open end, a tubular closure cap vto removably close the open end of said container and extending in axially overlapping relation with -a partof said base, said part of said base having two axially `spaced radial shoulders of minimum diameter lessthan the abore diameter `of said cap, and -a circumferentially continuous yieldable plastic seal ring including portions axially-retained by said shoulders, said ring Vhaving aconvex outer surface of maximum unst-resse'd'diameter in excessof-*the bore diameter of said cap and offminimurn `dia'rneterdess than the bore diameter'of s`aidcap,`,sad elosure'captting over said one end and-frictiorially and sealing'lyengaging said seal ring. t Y Y 3; A cosmetic container as defined in claim 42 wherein said base is indented intermediate-the side'iedges of said seal ring to form a channel into which the rintermediate portion `of said -seal ring may be compressed.i

4. A cosmetic container as defined in claim 2 wherein said seal ring has a concave inner surface-spaced at its intermediate portion from said `base when not 4under compression.V l

References Cited Ain Athetile of thisy patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,585 W011i` Dec.' v14, 1909 2,404,409 smith July 2s, 1946 2,626,847 Brown Jan. 27, 1953 2,681,742 Miner June 22 1954 Y FOREIGN PATENTS 457,959 Italy June 17, 1950 978,095 vFrance Nov. 22, 1950 

